1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a data input device, in particular, a data input device that is capable of showing a plurality of key images on its display screen, and entering data assigned to said key images when input designation areas are designated on said display screen.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of various multi-function peripheral (“MFP”) devices having multiple functions such as scanning, printing and copying has become popular in recent years. On such an MFP, an operating panel using a touch panel is normally adopted as a data input unit. Such an operating panel has a touch panel provided on the display screen to show various operating key images, detects that a input designation area that corresponds to a specific key image is designated by the user by means of the touch panel, and enters the data assigned to said key image.
In case of such an operating panel, due to an increasing number of varieties and complexities of MFP's functions, it is keenly needed to make the operating screen easier to understand and simpler to operate; for example, it is strongly desired to develop a data input device capable of allowing the operator to customize the operating screen easily, for example, modifying the sizes of certain keys depending on frequencies of their uses, rather than displaying all operating keys simultaneously in the same mode.
In the meanwhile, a data input device using a touch panel with a capability of modifying the key sizes has been disclosed (JP-A-5-197471), but said device is for the operator to select desired key sizes from the prearranged key size table so that it was incapable of allowing the operator to modify the sizes of specific operating keys sizes arbitrarily and automatically modifies the layout of other operating keys.